Raiders defense prepares for Bengals

RAIDERS (3-7) AT BENGALS (5-5)

Updated 11:47 pm, Saturday, November 24, 2012

The Raiders' defense, which includes safety Matt Giordano, is one of the NFL's worst, as the Saints' Mark Ingram pointed out last Sunday while scoring.

The Raiders' defense, which includes safety Matt Giordano, is one of the NFL's worst, as the Saints' Mark Ingram pointed out last Sunday while scoring.

Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images

Raiders defense prepares for Bengals

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Cincinnati --

Pull up a chair. The Raiders' defense is on the couch after giving up 135 points the past three games, the fourth-most in the NFL since the merger in 1970.

Coaches always tell players to forget the last play, or in this case plays, and focus on the next one. But don't you need to play with a little anger over what has transpired?

"You have to be honest with yourself about what went on and why they were able to get those points," said cornerback Ron Bartell, whose 3-7 team takes on the 5-5 Bengals on Sunday. "You can't really put it behind you, because if you do, you will be making the same mistakes. We have to realize how they got those points.

"A lot of that comes from guys trying to do too much instead of just doing their job. Somebody tries to cover up for someone else and it springs up another leak. We just need to get back to the basics, be fundamentally sound and trust one another."

Besides the average of 45 points, the Raiders are giving up 449 yards a game the past three weeks. Oakland is equally as bad against the run (23rd in the league) and pass (24th) at times and is worse on third downs (26th) and when opponents are in scoring territory (27th).

"It definitely hurts," safety Michael Huff said. "From day one, I've looked forward to playing in this defense. I've been the one that said, let's be a top 5, top 10 defense, when we play all together. But for some reason, things haven't gone right.

"We'll play in spurts and we'll be great here and there. But when we're bad, we're real bad. We're horrible."

Injuries have been a factor, as Bartell missed seven games with a shoulder injury and the other starting cornerback, Shawntae Spencer, lasted all of two games before going down with a foot injury. Defensive tackle Richard Seymour has been out three weeks with a hamstring injury, and safety Tyvon Branch missed last week's loss with a neck injury.

But tackling has been a bigger issue, along with players jumping their gaps, being in the wrong place and not knowing where their help from teammates is coming from.

"Like we say, 'Tackle the guy with the ball, and get him on the ground,' " first-year defensive coordinator Jason Tarver said. "That's been the issue. You can't be a one-phased team or defense in this league, because they can run and pass, the good ones."

Tarver has tried to prop up players' confidence of late. As for whether Tarver needs any help, Raiders coach Dennis Allen says no. Allen, who was the defensive coordinator for the Broncos, hasn't gotten more involved in the play-calling and says the schemes are fine.

"We haven't changed anything as far as how we call the games," Allen said. "I've been pleased with the play-calling, and we've just got to do a better job overall of getting the right execution."

Opponents have 37 total touchdowns - 20 in the air - as the Raiders are not getting pressure on quarterbacks. Oakland has one sack in the past three games and a league-low 11 on the season.

"I don't think we have the great speed rusher coming off the edge, like a lot of people do," Allen said. "Our guys can rush the passer, and we've just got to work together and understand how to work together as a four-man rush."

And Allen doesn't put all the blame on the defensive line.

"It's a combination of pass rush and pass coverage," Allen said. "We've got to do a better job of winning our one-on-ones, whether that be in coverage or whether that be in the rush, and those things work together. It really comes down to individual battles, and we've got to win more individual battles."

Time for the Raiders to get off the couch and back on the field against a pretty good offensive Bengals team.

Raiders at Bengals

10:02 a.m. Channel: 5 Channel: 13 Channel: 46 (105.3 FM)

Spotlight on: Carson Palmer. Cincinnati's first pick in 2003, the NFL's first overall, Palmer will be making his first appearance against his former team since last year's big trade. He expects to get booed Sunday, when really Bengals fans should be cheering him for being worth a first-round and second-round pick to the Raiders. The Bengals have 30 sacks, and Palmer is going to have to be at his best under intense pressure for Oakland to have any chance to win.

The big 3

-- The Raiders have one sack in the past three games and are going to need to put some pressure on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. Defensive ends Matt Shaughnessy and Lamarr Houston have graded out better than most against the run, and Oakland will have to contain not particularly elusive RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis to make Cincinnati one-dimensional.

-- The Bengals have defeated opponents in consecutive weeks by 18 points or more for the first time in 27 years. Cincinnati didn't turn the ball over in those two games and scored TDs on seven of eight trips in the red zone.

-- Fullback Marcel Reece has been one of the few bright spots for the Raiders. He moved over to running back and has rushed for 151 yards on 33 carries over the past two games in place of McFadden and Goodson. Reece is second on the Raiders with 37 receptions.

Quotable

"He can do it all," Palmer said of Reece. "He could play linebacker if we needed him to, if we were banged up. He's fast enough, he's quick enough, he has as high a football IQ as you will find, he so fluidly goes from fullback to halfback. ... Everything changes, your routes, your blocking schemes, what you have to do on protections and he does it seamlessly."

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